Draft-gear.



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2 SHEETS-S HEET 2 HERMAN C PRIEBE, 0F BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR.

Application tiled May 17, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN C. PRIEBE, citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft- Gears, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication.

My invention relates to draft gears for railway vehicles and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved form of interconnection between coupler yokes and coupler shanks and for another of its objects the provision of a flexibly connected coupler butt with the inner end of the coupler shank to engage motion resisting mechanism such as the follower of a. friction or spring gear.

The coupler butt desirably has universal connection with the coupler shank so lthat the coupler butt can fully maintain its engagement with the follower during all of the swinging movements of the coupler stem.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a draft gear including features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the inner end of the coupler shank and coupler butt.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The coupler 1 includes a shank 2, which is connected with a yoke structure in a manner later to be set forth, the sides of the yoke structure shown being in the forni of straps 8, through which openings 4 and 5 are provided for the reception of keys 6 and 7 each of which constitutes a form of follower, the opening 4 permitting the outer follower to move inwardly with respect to the yoke when the coupler is subject to a sufficient pushing strain while the opening 5 permits the inner follower 7 to move outwardly when the coupler is subject to a suflicient pulling strain. The keys 6 and 7 also project through openings 8 and 9 in the cheek plates 10 and 11 which are secured to the center sills 12 and 13, the opening Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2"?, 1191"?.

Serial No. 28,661.

9 registering with the openings 5 and corresponding openings in the center sills when the gear is not under stress, the openings 8 similarly registering with the openings 4 and similar openings in the center sills eX- cepting that the openings 4 extend outwardly beyond the openings 8 to afford sufficient freedom for lateral movement of the coupler, the outer follower plate 6 receiving inward thrusts from the coupler shank while the inner follower plate 7 receives its outward pull from the coupler yoke 3.

`Where the followers are in the form of keys, cotter pins 14 may be employed to prevent their withdrawal from the slots in the center sills that receive them. As set forth in my co-pending application, the rounded opposed transverse edges of the followers (i and 7 are received within semicylindrical pockets 15, 16 that are formed in the stems of rockers 17 and 18,` there being outwardly diverging arms 19, 20, 21 and 22 between which corresponding followers are disposed as illustrated. The motion resisting mechanism illustra-ted and as vset forth in my said co-pending application includes a spring structure 23 resting upon a seat 24 provided at the lower end of a seat carrier 25 that is secured to the center sills, the spring mechanism including a vertically movable follower 26 that is engaged by the rockers.

In accordance with one of the characteristics of my present invention the coupler butt 27 (having a transverse slot that receives the follower 6) has an outsetting cylindrical. stem 28 which is co-aXial with the coupler shank and passes through a hole in said shank, this hole being of larger diameter than the stem so that the coupler butt may universally swing with respect to the stem to maintain its full engagement with the follower 6 during the various swinging movements of the coupler shank. The transverse slots in the coupler butt permit the coupler butt to shift along the follower G while maintaining full engagement therewith. I do not wish te be limited to the peculiar construction illustrated for affording flexible connection between the coupler butt and the coupler shank.

The coupler yoke illustrated includes two straps 3 which happen to be brought into assembly at their inner ends by means of the inner follower 7, though l do not wish to be limited to this form of coupler yokeg The outer end of each yoke side 3 carries an insetting lug 29 that is passed through a transverse opening 30 in the corresponding vertical side of the follower coupler shank, these lugs desirably being long enough to engage each other as illustrated inFig. 4I. The openings 30 are longer than the oblong lugs 29, the portions of the openings unoccupied by the lugs being substantially filled by a lilicr 31. Said filler is preferably in the forni of a bolt which will maintain the lugs 29 in engagement and operates to prevent the Withdrawal thereof through the openings 30. Slight clearance desirably intervenes betiveen the inner faces of the coupler straps 3 and the opposed portions of the coupler 4shank to permit soine relative lateral motion of these two elements. Each lug 29 desirably has an insetting projection 32 extending longitudinally of the gear and inwardly beyond the openings 30 to coperate with the bolt 31 in preventing the Withdrawal of the lugs 29 from the openings 30.

IVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following '1. A draft gear including a coupler, the i inner end of Whose shank is provided with transverse openings; a coupler yoke, the outer ends of Whose sides are provided With Vinsetting lugs that enter the aforesaid Within the ends of said openings that are unoccupied by the lugs; and an insetting projection carried by'Y each lug extending longitudinally of the gear and beyond said openings. s v

2. A draft gear including a coupler, the inner end of Whose shank is provided With transverse openings; a coupler yoke, the outer ends of Whose sides are provided With insetting lugs that enter the aforesaid open ings, said opneings being longer than the lugs; a filler Within the .ends of said opeiiings that are unoccupied by the lugs; and an insetting projectioncarried by each lug extending longitudinally of the gear and beyond said openings. Y Y

3. A draft gear including a coupler, the inner end of Whose shank is provided With transverse openings; a coupler yoke, the outer ends vof Whose sides are provided With insetting lugs that enter the aforesaid openings and engage each other, said openings being longer than the lugs; and -a filler within the ends of said openings that are unoccupied by the lugs,

A draft gear including a coupler, the inner end of Whose shank is provided With tiansii'erse openings; a coupler yoke, the outer ends of whose sides are provided with insetting lugs that enter the aforesaid open* ings, said openings being longer than the lugs; and a lleil Within the ends of said openings that are unoccupied `by the lugs.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twelfth day of May, A. D. 1915.' Y

l HERMAN C. PRIEBE. IVitnesses G. L. CRAGG, E'riA WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the -,Gommissioner of Pate-nts. Washington, D. C. 

